Downtown Lapeer site of Halloween-season fun

Lapeer Downtown Development Authority Director James Alt led groups of spirited specter hunters throughout the downtown area during the first night of Haunted Lapeer Ghost Walk on Saturday. Tour guides like Alt will lead groups around the downtown Lapeer area while sharing historical stories and tall tales. Tours are slated for Oct 13, 14, 20, 27 and 28.
Photo by Nicholas Pugliese LAPEER — Despite Halloween being nearly three weeks away, downtown Lapeer is getting into the spirit early with a slew of events slated for this weekend.

• Festivities begin on Thursday, Oct. 12 with the Great Pumpkin ASK (Artists Supporting Kids) Auction. Faux pumpkins carved by local artists as part of the fundraiser have been be displayed in downtown Lapeer businesses, leading up to the auction at Beyer’s Furniture on Thursday, Oct. 12 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Presented by the Lapeer Art Association, the pumpkins will be auctioned off in support of the LAA’s summer art camp held at Chatfield School. The auction is open to the public and will feature music performed by Jaime Marvin.

• Also underway throughout the month of October is the first Haunted Lapeer Ghost Walk. On these walking tours, guides will lead groups along Nepessing Street and share tales of true-to-life unusual occurrences mixed with a bit of history along with a few tall tales.

Along the way, groups will be regaled with tales of strange sights and unexplained experiences throughout the downtown district’s history. Stops on the tour will include stories of the Ghost of Lyric Mall and the “crying child” who wanders the downtown. Each tour will be unique, so repeated ventures will yield new stories.

Each tour will be 15-20 minutes long and will feature a few “surprises” along the way. Tours will start in the Fox Street Mall and will depart every 15 minutes beginning at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5, or $15 for a group of four to six people. Tours will take place Oct. 13, 14, 20, 21, 27 and 28.

• Prior Nightmare on Nepessing this Saturday night, the downtown area will be filled with the shuffling hordes of undead, who will once again take to the streets of downtown Lapeer on Saturday, Oct. 14. Also in its second year, the Zombies on Nepessing event provides families with a unique opportunity to get into the Halloween spirit.

The Zombie walk will begin at Tilted Axis Brewery at 5 p.m.

Starting at 3 p.m., attendees can visit the “Creatures of the Night” makeup booth to be transformed into a zombie for a small fee, and visit the Library Teen Council’s Clothing Distressing Station to have old clothes torn up and bloodied, for a full walking dead effect. Crust Bakery will be provide “eyeball” donuts. Along with the Zombie walk, the Lapeer DDA will feature a Photo Challenge to interested zombies. As part of the photo challenge, zombies will be provided a list of riddles that will provide clues to downtown businesses.

• The weekend’s fright-filled festivities will culminate with the second annual Nightmare on Nepessing. For adults that want to get in on the action of dressing up for Halloween, Nightmare on Nepessing costume party and beer tent, provided by the Optimist Club of Lapeer, will return Saturday, Oct. 14, from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Featuring live music and dancing, a heated beer tent, and a $4,000 raffle giveaway at midnight, the $20 ticket includes entry into the costume contest, which will award $1,000 for the best individual costume, $500 for second best individual costume and $1,000 for best group costume. Tickets can be purchased from any Optimist member or by visitingwww.lapeeroptimist.org/2017-nightmare-on-nepessing-registration. html.

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